Justice Delayed (SEEKING JUSTICE #1) by Sarah Hamaker EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Authors: Sarah Hamaker
- Language: English
- Genre: Romantic Suspense
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 2.6 MB
- Price: Free
“What time did the alleged robber come into your store, Mr.
Patel?” Northern Virginia Herald reporter Brogan Gilmore
asked. Mid-August in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area meant slow
news due to the congressional recess, thus an attempted robbery at a local
convenience store took top priority.
“Excuse me.” Vihaan Patel, owner of the Kwikie Mart at the corner of
Main Street and Chain Bridge Road in Fairfax, Virginia, rang up a customer
purchasing a pack of cigarettes and beef jerky, then waited until the
customer left before answering. “It was one-thirty in the morning. Very
late.”
Standing on the other side of the counter, Brogan jotted down the details
in his notebook. “And you had two other robberies within the last two
weeks?”
“That’s right.” Mr. Patel clenched his fists. “Those badamaash young
men—”
“Badamaash?” Brogan interjected.
“Hooligans.” Mr. Patel’s lip curled, leaving Brogan no doubt that
hooligans was probably a more civilized translation. “They come in
thinking they can just take my hard-earned money. Last Monday and
Friday, different men, come in late at night and take what isn’t theirs.”
“How much was taken in the two previous robberies?”
“Three hundred on Monday, fifteen hundred on Friday. Friday was very
busy night. Special lottery promotion brought in lots of people, who thought
they would be lucky. Big jackpot.” A shadow crossed the lines of his
expressive face. “Both times, robbers came when I opened safe to remove
cash for bank deposit. Usually, no one here to open safe.”
A familiar gut feeling coursed through Brogan’s body. Maybe these
robberies weren’t so random after all. This was looking more like an inside
job. “Do you open the safe to ready the deposit at the same time each
night?”
Mr. Patel shook his head. “That would be foolish. I vary times each day.
Sometimes right before bank opens. Sometimes mid-afternoon. Sometimes
during the evening. When bank not open, I take deposit bag home with me.
The Monday robbery was at ten in morning. The Friday one at nine in
evening.”
Brogan tapped his pen against the notebook. “Who worked on
Monday?”
The door’s bell announced more customers. A group of teenagers
poured in, their raucous laughter filling the small store.
Mr. Patel craned his neck to keep an eye on the teens. “My son, Veer,
working both times. He filling in for worker who called in sick.”
The tingle increased. “Is that spelled V-E-E-R?”
“Yes.” Mr. Patel greeted one of the teens, who set down a large slushie
and a giant candy bar.
Brogan waited while the owner rang up the group’s remaining
purchases. It could be a coincidence that Mr. Patel’s son had been working
during the two robberies. Still, at the risk of offending the man, Brogan had
to follow up. “Was Veer working last night?”
“He was. He usually works overnight shifts on weekend to let me spend
time at home with my wife.”
Definitely something there, but Brogan let the subject of Veer Patel drop
for now. “But you were here last night. Why was that?”
Mr. Patel shrugged. “I was waiting until jackpot numbers were called at
midnight. People buy lottery tickets in cash.”
“Did you see the robber?”
“Yes, but he wore werewolf mask.”
“Like a Halloween mask?”
For More Read Download This Book
EPUB